A 2026 Harvard study found that between 2011-2019, there was a 2.6% increase in death by suicide among NFL players when compared to the NBA or MLB. Over the last seven months, two active players passed away under these circumstances: defensive end Marshawn Kneeland and wide receiver Rondale Moore.
The strains and stresses that come with being a professional athlete, past or present, can not be ignored.
“The NFL is a very blue collar existence and it’s a tough existence, mentally and physically,” said Ron Wheeler, former Raiders tight end who participated in the workshop.
“To learn the mental side of what we do truly exist. And it’s not just brutal force, there’s a lot of mental existence in what we do and how we did it for years. And I think everyone here has learned a lot about what happens when you take off the helmet and you take off the pads.”
The ASIST workshop continued the initiative the Raiders are setting in place to provide gainful resources to their alumni. The team has hosted two Alumni Wellness Weekends where former Raiders and their families have the opportunity to be educated on their mental and physical health resources as well as participate in wellness workshops with health professionals.
And with May being National Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a reminder that taking care of the mind is equally as vital to how these players once cared for their physical health in the league.
“I have a great respect for what the Raiders organization tries to do for us as men,” said Ron Foster, who played for the Raiders in 1987. “The empathy they have for us as former players, a lot of teams don’t necessarily take the time to look at who you are behind the shield. … And it makes a difference to continue to develop the human being as a man, as a person … and the Raiders do that.”